title: Breast cancer in octogenarian women: clinical characteristics and outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breast cancer incidence increases in the elderly but data on treatment and outcomes of elderly patients is limited. We assessed the clinicopathological features and outcomes of our patients with breast cancer aged ≥80 years in comparison with their younger postmenopausal counterparts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 83 patients diagnosed with breast cancer after the age of 80 (group 1) between 2003 and 2011 in 4 different centers were retrospectively evaluated and the clinicopathological features and outcomes were assessed in comparison with a control group (group 2) of 249 patients aged between 60-70 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median ages at diagnosis were 82 years (range 80-95) and 64 years (range 60-70) for group 1 and group 2, respectively. The incidence of invasive cancers other than ductal or lobular type was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (20 vs 8%; p=0.0177rpar;. More patients in group 1 had Charlson Comorbidty scores ≥1 than those in group 2 (49 vs 36%; p=0.011). Patients in group 1 had more conservative operations and less axillary node dissections (ALND) and they received chemotherapy, trastuzumab or radiotherapy less frequently compared to their younger counterparts in group 2. Median follow up period was 36 months (range 1-178) in group 1 and 24 months (range 12-217) in group 2. Five-year disease free survival (DFS) was 53.7 and 75.9) (p=0.005), 5-year overall survival (OS) was 61.9% and 80.47percnt; in group 1 and group 2 (p=0.001), respectively. Advanced stage (stage IV vs stage I, II, III, p=0.051) and cerbB2 positivity (p<0.001) were found to be associated with shorter DFS in patients ≥80 years of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the majority of patients were undertreated in our study according to the current guidelines, mortality rates were quite low. Different biology of the disease in the elderly might explain this difference.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kuzan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dizdar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yalcin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kucukoztas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahatli
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Dede
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Altundag
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zengin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozyilkan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Altundag
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology